The Team
Global Animal Welfare Fund didn't come from a boardroom. It came from a sleepless night, a lifetime of activism, and a family that decided to build something better.
Caryl with Charlie, rescued from a puppy mill.
The Founder
Founder, Global Animal Welfare Fund
It started with a sleepless night in Thailand.
Caryl was in Koh Samui celebrating her 50th birthday when she saw them — dozens of homeless dogs wandering the streets with nowhere to go and no one looking out for them. That night, she couldn't sleep. She kept turning to her husband, saying: "We have to do something. I can't lie here knowing they're out there."
She didn't wait long. Caryl founded Rescue Paws — a hands-on rescue organisation built to help street dogs in Thailand. When it became clear the work required more on-the-ground capacity than she could manage alone, she reached out to one of Global Work & Travel's key partners to help run it. Rescue Paws grew. And so did Caryl's understanding of what rescue organisations actually need.
The problem wasn't dedication. It was never dedication. It was funding — or the absence of it at the exact moment it was needed most. Caryl had seen it firsthand: incredible teams doing extraordinary work, brought to a standstill by empty bank accounts. So she built a solution. In 2019, Global Animal Welfare Fund was formally registered — a transparent, direct funding model that keeps money ready before the call comes in.
A note on our structure
Global Animal Welfare Fund was built by a family that has spent decades in animal welfare — and that's not a coincidence. It's the reason it exists.
Caryl's daughter Chantal is a Director and Board Member with years of experience in animal rights advocacy. Her mother Diana is a veteran vegan and animal rights activist who serves on the board. Her son Jürgen is the CEO of Global Work & Travel — the organisation whose global partner network gave Global Animal Welfare Fund its early reach.
We're transparent about this because transparency is the entire point. The family connection isn't a conflict of interest. It's what makes the model possible.
The People
Chantal with her adopted dog Cecil from China, through partner organisation World of Angels.
Director & Board Member
A lifetime vegan and Chairwoman of AnimalKIND, Chantal brings years of frontline experience in animal rights advocacy and policy to the board. Her work sits at the intersection of activism and governance — ensuring that every decision the fund makes is grounded in genuine welfare outcomes, not just good intentions.
Diana with granddaughter Chantal's rescue dog Cecil.
Director & Board Member
A veteran vegan and lifelong animal rights activist, Diana brings decades of experience in animal welfare advocacy to the board. Her conviction runs deep — and she brings that same commitment to every funding decision Global Animal Welfare Fund makes.
Richard with his dog Ollie.
Board Member - Finance
A semi-retired financier with many years of experience as a corporate banker in the Australian banking industry, Richard brings sharp financial oversight to the board. A university-qualified accountant, he has also held positions across the travel, not-for-profit, renewable energy, and direct marketing sectors, including as General Manager of the Bartercard Charity Foundation. He currently works as internal accountant for Animal Liberation QLD Ltd, trading as AnimalKIND, keeping his finance expertise grounded in frontline animal welfare work.
Vanessa with Itsy, a rescue dog from China through partner charity World of Angels.
Social & Communications
Vanessa brings hands-on social media experience from within the animal welfare sector — she knows the audience, the nuance, and the stories that move people to act. Passionate about animal rights and advocacy, she ensures Global Animal Welfare Fund's voice stays honest, urgent, and connected to the frontline work it exists to support.
Jayde with a local stray cat in Morocco.
Marketing
Jayde came to Global Animal Welfare Fund through conviction, not credentials. With a background spanning strategic marketing, web development, and brand building, she brings the full picture: the strategy to grow the fund's reach, the technical skills to build the platforms that support it, and the storytelling instinct to make sure the right people find it and stay.
Allocation Decisions
Every funding decision Global Animal Welfare Fund makes is assessed by a volunteer committee — not an algorithm, not a formula. People who are close to the work, moving as quickly as the need demands.
The committee evaluates every request on urgency, impact, partner trust, and available funds. When the need is real, the decision is made and the money moves.
"Global Animal Welfare Fund has helped us maintain the Vervet Monkey Foundation's communal areas for volunteers and primate enclosures. We even have an enclosure called the Global enclosure, named after them. Their generosity keeps our team on the ground and our monkeys safe in the trees."
— Vervet Monkey Foundation
Get Involved
If you run a vetted frontline animal welfare organisation and need funding to keep going, we want to hear from you.
Apply for funding →Support the Fund
Allocated by a volunteer committee. Directed to vetted partners. Every outcome published publicly.
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